This invention relates to a general system and method for verifying the contents of a mass storage device before granting access to computer readable data stored on the device. More particularly, this invention relates to a method and apparatus verifying the contents of a read-only mass storage device as part of a booting process of a computer system that is part of a computer controlled gaming machine before granting access to gaming application modules and data stored on the device.
Computer-based gaming machines are becoming increasingly commonplace in the construction of gaming devices such as slot machines, video poker games, and video roulette wheels. These automated games utilize computing systems containing software modules to implement gaming logic. These computing systems also utilize computer video display devices and other computer controlled display devices to present gaming players with images of the various gaming apparatus being implemented.
These computer-based gaming systems replace mechanical systems such as slot machines comprising a plurality of rotating wheels and associated mechanical logic. The computing systems utilize a random number generator to determine a game outcome that statistically appears to be random in nature. The random numbers obtained from a random number-generating module are used to determine which symbols on the wheels of a slot machine are to be displayed when the game concludes a play. Similarly, these random numbers are used to shuffle standard decks of playing cards used in other games of chance.
These computer-based gaming machines also comprise software modules which when working together implement the rules of a particular game of chance. For a slot machine, these rules include the pay-out tables used to determine any winnings paid to a player for a particular combination of symbols shown on the rotating game wheels. Finally, the computer gaming machines comprise software modules which when working together display a series of images on the display device to simulate the appearance and operation of a gaming machine. These display modules typically comprise both video and audio output modules to provide a game player with a sensory experience comparable to the mechanical gaming machines.
Gaming machines that accept wagers and provide winning payouts are under a wide variety of regulatory oversight procedures and provisions from authorities of the various jurisdictions that permit the use of these devices. These oversight procedures and provisions are concerned in part with providing a level of assurance that the games operate in the manner advertised. The behavior of the random number generator, its relationship to the outcome of the game implemented, and the winning pay-out tables are part of the functions of these gaming devices which are inspected. The procedures for obtaining regulatory approval for each gaming device may be a long, complicated, and expensive undertaking on the part of the gaming machine manufacturer and its customers, gaming establishment operators.
At the same time, these computer controlled gaming machines are becoming based upon standard computing system components to reduce the cost of the development and deployment of these gaming machines. This reduction in cost occurs from the ability to develop multiple gaming machine implementations based upon a single gaming machine architecture. As part of the effort to allow the development of multiple gaming machine implementations based upon a single computer based gaming machine architecture, two additional inventions have been developed. The technical description of these computer controlled gaming machines may be found in detail in co-pending U.S. Patent Application, entitled, Method and Apparatus for Providing a Compartmentalized Game Instruction Architecture within a Gaming Machine, Ser. No. 09/396,190, which is concurrently filed with the present application and is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein., and in co-pending U.S. Patent Application, entitled, System and Method of Distributing Casino Games, Employing Platform Independent Programming and Common Communications Protocols, Ser. No. 60/153,718, which is also concurrently filed with the present application and is also incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
One issue which may prevent the use of a computer-based gaming machine from one game implementation to a second gaming implementation is the regulatory oversight approval for each gaming implementation. Part of this regulatory approval involves the inspection and approval of the software routines and data files needed to implement a computer gaming machine on storage media that can be loaded into the gaming machines. Typically, the only storage media allowed by the regulators have been read-only memories such as ROMs and EPROMs. Because of the large amount of video and audio data needed to implement a computer controlled gaming machine, larger forms of mass storage will be needed. However, a procedure is needed to verify the approved media that is inspected by the regulators is used each time a computer controlled gaming machine operates.
Additionally, the process of obtaining approval for a complete software implementation of a gaming device that operates on a common computer-based gaming platform having a standard set of hardware components may be simplified with a software architecture that structures its software modules into an organization which re-uses a large amount of its software modules to implement functions common to all gaming devices. With such a software architecture, the common software modules would seek approval the first time the modules are used in a gaming machine. For subsequent game machine implementation, the prior approval for the common module would be provided along with any changes implemented to the modules. Additionally, new modules used to implement game specific functions would be identified. As such, the previously approved common modules that may not change in a significant way may obtain approval more quickly and less expensively. The process of obtaining the approval for new gaming implementations may likely focus on the new game-specific modules. Since these modules represent a subset of an entire system, the approval may be obtained more quickly and less expensively.
With the ability to more easily obtain approval for new gaming implementations and the ability to use large storage media that are easily changed from one game to another while meeting the demands of the regulators, gaming establishments are provided with an improved ability to more readily change the gaming devices present in their establishments to satisfy the interests of their gaming players. The present invention provides a software architecture for implementing computer-based gaming machines to address the above problems in prior systems.
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a method for verifying the contents of a mass storage device before granting access to computer readable data stored on the device.
The present invention solves the above-described problems by providing a method and apparatus verifying the contents of a read-only mass storage device such as a CD-ROM drive as part of a booting process of a computer system where the computing system is part of a computer controlled gaming machine before granting access to gaming application modules and data stored on the device.
Other embodiments of a system in accordance with the principles of the invention may include alternative or optional additional aspects. One such aspect of the present invention is a method for verifying the contents of a mass storage device attached to a computing system having a processor and system random access memory. The mass storage device has computer readable data stored therein. The method comprises first storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification module having a set of computer executable instructions for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device. Next, the method stores a mass storage verification data for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device onto the mass storage device. Before permitting an initial access to the computer readable data from the mass storage device, the method verifies the contents of the mass storage device by executing the instructions contained within the mass storage verification module to generate a set of computed verification data and comparing the set of computed verification data with the mass storage verification data. Finally, the method permits additional access to the computer readable data stored on the mass storage device only if the set of computed verification data matches the mass storage verification data.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for booting a computing system having a processor, a mass storage device, and system random access memory. The mass storage device containing computer readable data. The method includes storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification module having a set of computer executable instructions for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification data for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, storing a plurality of operating system modules having a set of computer executable instructions within a file system on the mass storage device, loading the operating system modules needed to access the computer readable data stored on the mass storage device into the random access memory of the computing system, verifying the contents of the mass storage device by executing the instructions contained within the mass storage verification module to generate a set of computed verification data, and permitting additional access to the computer readable data stored on the mass storage device only if the set of computed verification data matches the mass storage verification data. The set of computed verification data comprises a file name, a file starting location on the mass storage device, a file size, and a CRC checksum for each file stored on the mass storage device.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for booting a computer controlled gaming machine having a computing system. The computer controlled gaming machine has a processor, a mass storage device, and system random access memory where the mass storage device contains computer readable data organized within a file system. The method for booting the gaming machine comprises storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification module having a set of computer executable instructions for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification data for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, storing a plurality of operating system modules having a set of computer executable instructions within the file system on the mass storage device, and storing one or more gaming application modules having a set of computer executable instructions within the file system on the mass storage device. Once the mass storage device is prepared the booting method comprises loading the operating system modules into the system random access memory of the computing system, verifying the contents of the mass storage device by executing the instructions contained within the mass storage verification module to generate a set of computed verification data, and permitting the computing system to execute the instructions contained within the gaming application modules only if the set of computed verification data matches the mass storage verification data; The set of computed verification data comprises a file name, a file starting location on the mass storage device, a file size, and a CRC checksum for each file stored on the mass storage device.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a system for verifying the computer readable data stored upon a mass storage device attached to a computing system before the contents of the mass storage system are accessed by the gaming modules. The system comprises a mass storage verification module having a set of computer executable instructions for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, one or more operating system module having a set of computer executable instruction, one or more application module having a set of computer executable instruction; and mass storage verification data for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device. The system comprises a computer processing module for executing computer instructions stored on the mass storage device, random access memory coupled to the computer processing module, and the mass storage device coupled to the computer processing module for storing the computer readable data used by the computing system. The computer processing module executes the instructions contained within the mass storage verification module to verify the contents of the mass storage device before executing any application modules. The mass storage verification module performs the following operations to verify the contents of the mass storage device: loading the operating system modules into the system random access memory of the computing system, verifying the contents of the mass storage device by generating a set of computed verification data based upon the computer readable data stored on the mass storage device, permitting the computing system to execute the instructions contained within the gaming application modules only if the set of computed verification data matches the mass storage verification data, and shutting down the operation of the computing system if access to not permitted to the computer readable data stored upon the mass storage device. The set of computed verification data comprises a file name, a file starting location on the mass storage device, a file size, and a CRC checksum for each file stored on the mass storage device.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a computer controlled gaming machine. The gaming machine comprises a computer processing module for executing computer instructions stored on the mass storage device, random access memory coupled to the computer processing module, and a mass storage device coupled to the computer processing module for storing computer readable data used by the computing system. The computer readable data comprises a mass storage verification module having a set of computer executable instructions for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, one or more gaming application modules having a set of computer executable instruction, and mass storage verification data for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device. The computer processing module executes the instructions contained within the mass storage verification module to verify the contents of the mass storage device before executing any application modules.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for booting a computing system having a processor, a mass storage device, and system random access memory. The mass storage device containing computer readable data. The apparatus comprises a means for storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification module having a set of computer executable instructions for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, means for storing onto the mass storage device a mass storage verification data for use in verifying the contents of the mass storage device, and a means for storing a plurality of operating system modules having a set of computer executable instructions within a file system on the mass storage device. The apparatus further includes the following modules for use once the computer readable data is stored on the mass storage device: a means for loading the operating system modules needed to access the computer readable data stored on the mass storage device into the random access memory of the computing system, a means for verifying the contents of the mass storage device by executing the instructions contained within the mass storage verification module to generate a set of computed verification data, and a means for permitting additional access to the computer readable data stored on the mass storage device only if the set of computed verification data matches the mass storage verification data. The set of computed verification data comprises a file name, a file starting location on the mass storage device, a file size, and a CRC checksum for each file stored on the mass storage device.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described specific examples of an apparatus in accordance with the invention.